That'll Leave a Mark
by MyNameIsCrazy
Summary: (Set in X-Men: First Class) Rose Cleary is not like other students at Oxford University. She can manipulate energy. When Professor X finds her, her life completely turns upside down. And going upside down is an understatement. When faced with two love interests, she's terrified to lose the one thing she treasures. The safety she provides others by not getting emotionally involved.


"She's different, Hank. I can feel it," he said, staring at the file in front of him. His index and middle fingers were pressed to his left temple as he stared at the photo of the girl. "She's different from anything we've ever seen here before."

"Who is she? Is she like us?" Hank answered. Charles looked up and pushed the file towards the furry blue man sitting across the table from him. Her name was Rose Cleary. She was eighteen, and she had the most incredible powers Hank had ever heard of. Even more so than Sebastian Shaw. Yes he could absorb energy, but thisgurl, she could manipulate it like nothing anyone had ever seen before.

"She calls herself 'Shellshock'," Charles replied. "I think she is exactly like us. I have to find her. Get me Scott." A man standing at the corner of the room nodded and walked through the open office door.

* * *

I was sitting in the library, doing my thesis research when two men, one in a wheelchair came up to me. I pushed my glasses up higher on the bridge of my nose and looked up.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" I asked politely, hiding my irritation very well.

"I know you're irritated, but we're here to talk to you, Rose. We want to bring you to a private institute," the man in the wheelchair said calmly. I stared at him, confusion starting to creep across my face.

"An institution? Like an insane asylum?" I asked. I laughed and shook my head, standing and gathering my books. "I don't think so, gentlemen. Have a nice day."

I started to walk away when I heard the man in the wheelchair's voice inside my head. "_Rose, I know what you are. What you can do. Please, we can help you. Train you. Help you control your abilities. Please, let us help you._"

I turned around, and stared at him. "What can you possibly do? I'm like a time bomb, waiting to go off. You can't help me," I said, walking away.

"At least let me try, Rose. The scars are only going to multiply," the man replied, calling to me. I stopped dead in my tracks. How did he know about those?

* * *

The truck ride was excruciating to my poor tail bone. Bumps and potholes littered the road and we had to pass through an exquisite security system.

"This is the girl?" one of the guards asked. The man who had the wheelchair nodded and we passed through easily.

"Hey, where are we going?" I asked the men up front. Charles Xavier turned to me and smiled.

"You'll see," he replied and turned around. I was getting mad now. I was sure that I was going to be taken in and experimented on due to my strange abilities.

I could manipulate energy. Which was why I called myself Shellshock. MY powers were almost like explosions on steroids. But I was also a danger to myself. If my energy backfired, it left angry red welts on my skin that would eventually scab over and leave ugly scars and burns on my arms and legs.

We arrived at a huge castle and my mouth fell open. "You live here?" I asked as we pulled up. Charles turned to look at me and just smiled again.

Two men came over to help him out of the truck and into his wheelchair, and another one came to help me. His blond hair was lighter than mine and a Greek god's face almost rivaled his. He was beautiful. But I wasn't going to let my emotions show. It was too dangerous, too damaging. I knew the repercussions of a freak like me. Rejection, humiliation, isolation. I wasn't going to go through that again.

"Everyone, this is Shellshock. She was a student at Oxford University before I found her. Her name is Rose Cleary," Charles said. I bit my lip when he used my special name, but no one flinched.

"We are going to make her feel welcome here. Especially since she has a, well a... A very destrictive power, might I say," Charles went on. I wanted to punch him. Clearly no one else here was a freak like me. They were all normal kids, studying at a private academy.

"Shall we show her our true colors?" he added. I looked around at everyone who was whispering and nodding. Hey were probably going to laugh at me, poke fun at me, mock me.

"But first, let's see what she can do. Rose?" Charles said, turning to me. I nodded and bit my lip. I closed my eyes and focused my energy. Then I could feel it growing out, pulsating, conforming to a large, domed bubbled all around us. I focused again, eyes still closed and tried to imagine armor, constructed out of energy over my body. It even took my hair and wrapped a tie around it, holding it up in a high pony tail.

I opened my eyes and the energy vanished. I was expecting everyone to cower away from me, but they didn't. They _applauded _me. The cheered. They laughed in excitement. A few of the other girls jumped up and down in joy.

"You, my dear," Charles said smiling, taking my hand at my side, "are spectacular. Welcome to Xavier Institute." I smiled and looked around.

"Am I the only...freak...here?" I asked tentatively. Charles motioned to the other men and smiled.

"They are all just like you," he said, smiling. "This is Alex Summers, or more commonly known as Havok. Sean Cassidy, code name Banshee. Scott Summers, or Cyclops, and," he paused. "Where's Hank?"

"You mean Beast?" Alex laughed. "He's up in his room. Didn't want to scare the new recruit."

"Oh please, what could scare me?" I laughed, crossing my arms over my chest. I knew that nothing could frighten me, now that I was on common ground with others like me.

"I could, for one..."


End file.
